Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
continues to support AltiVec hardware acceleration. The commercial market for PowerPC applications is tiny,
but PowerPC applications remain interesting in specialized media and scientific computing.
FIGURE 1.14
Create a very simple OS X application using a template as a starting point and adding a text label in IB. The ap-
plication runs in its own window and replaces the OS X menu bar (not shown here). Although it appears to run in-
dependently, it is in fact controlled by Xcode and can be debugged while it's running.
Developing for iOS
iOS development is more complicated than OS X development. Development is controlled by
provisioning,
an
Apple-generated security control, which is built into Xcode and manages access to hardware testing and App
Store distribution.
iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad platforms all use iOS, but these platforms are significantly different and may not
always run the same version of iOS. Even when they do run the same version, not all hardware features and UI
options are available on very device.
In extreme cases, conditional code is required to check which device an app is running on and which version of
iOS it supports. Code paths may need to be selected accordingly with manual checks at runtime.
Apple is unlikely to simplify this process in future releases of Xcode. It's more likely that the iOS device range
will expand, and apps will need to manage an ever-increasing selection of screen sizes, hardware features, and
operating systems.
